Archive of Human Genius

We are building the world’s largest database of social change milestones, from the first fire to today’s good news. Change is not only possible, it has happened consistently throughout human history. Filter by era, country, topic, actor, source, and more.

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  • Spotted owl
    2024 C.E. March 28

    Biden administration restores threatened species protections in the U.S. dropped by Trump

    Among the changes, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will reinstate a decades-old regulation that mandates blanket protections for animals and plants newly classified as threatened. That means officials won’t have to craft specific plans to shield each individual species while protections are pending, as has been done recently with North American wolverines in the Rocky Mountains, alligator snapping turtles in the Southeast and spotted owls in California.


  • Facility production thick air pollution
    2024 C.E. March 28

    Slovakia plans to be coal-free by 2024, six years earlier than originally planned

    Slovakia stopped production at its last coal-fired power plant this week. Its electricity will now come almost entirely from nuclear and renewable sources. Slovakia originally slated its coal phaseout for 2030 but has now expedited this to mid-2024, when it will join Belgium, Austria, Sweden and Portugal as Europe's coal-free countries.


  • Person repairing smart phone
    2024 C.E. March 27

    Oregon governor signs nation’s first right-to-repair bill that bans parts pairing

    The law, like those passed in New York, California, and Minnesota, will require many manufacturers to provide the same parts, tools, and documentation to individuals and repair shops that they provide to their own repair teams. But Oregon's bill goes further, preventing companies from implementing schemes that require parts to be verified through encrypted software checks before they will function.


  • Argentinian flag flying near a building
    2024 C.E. March 26

    In first, an Argentine court convicts ex-officers of crimes against trans women during dictatorship

    Judges overseeing a high-profile human rights trial in Argentina have convicted 11 former officials of crimes against humanity, in the South American nation's first case to focus on the former military dictatorship’s overlooked practice of committing sexual violence against transgender women.


  • Zagreb, Croatia
    2024 C.E. March 25

    Croatia approves law to criminalize femicide 

    After Cyprus and Malta, Croatia is the third E.U. member state to recognize the crime of femicide, which is defined as the killing of a woman or girl, in particular by a man and on account of her gender. The legislation will also increase the prison sentence for rape from one to five years to three to eight, and victims will have the option to give testimony via videocall rather than attending in person.


  • Hand holding living cannabis plant
    2024 C.E. March 22

    Germany approves partial legalization of cannabis

    The new law will allow adults to carry up to 25 grams of cannabis for their own consumption and store up to 50 grams at home. Public consumption will be allowed, so long as it is not within sight of children or near sports facilities. It will also be prohibited in pedestrian zones between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. It is slated to come into effect on April 1.


  • Bifacial PV plate
    2024 C.E. March 23

    British scientists develop new bifacial solar technology that generates more power at reduced cost

    Scientists from the University of Surrey in England, working with colleagues at the University of Cambridge, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xidian University, and Zhengzhou University, have developed a flexible perovskite solar panel that use electrodes made of tiny carbon nanotubes. The researchers demonstrated that in addition to producing more energy than traditional solar panels, “the material cost of an all-carbon-electrode-based bifacial PSC is about 70% lower than that of a monofacial device.”


  • Aerial view of oil tanker
    2024 C.E. March 22

    India stops accepting Russian oil delivered by U.S.-sanctioned tankers

    Indian oil refineries have stopped accepting Russian crude oil delivered by tankers operated by Russia’s largest commercial shipping company that has been sanctioned by the U.S., likely as a result of the war on Ukraine. The move deals a significant blow to Russia's economy as India has emerged as a major importer of Russian crude oil over the past two years.


  • U.N. building with national flags in foreground
    2024 C.E. March 21

    U.N. General Assembly adopts landmark resolution on artificial intelligence

    The Assembly called on all Member States and stakeholders “to refrain from or cease the use of artificial intelligence systems that are impossible to operate in compliance with international human rights law or that pose undue risks to the enjoyment of human rights.” The text was “co-sponsored” or backed by more than 120 other Member States. It represents the first time the Assembly has adopted a resolution on regulating the emerging field.


  • Redwoods with sun shining through
    2024 C.E. March 20

    Yurok Tribe becomes the first to manage land with U.S. National Park Service

    California’s Yurok Tribe, which had 90% of its territory taken from it during the gold rush of the mid-1800s, will be getting a slice of its land back to serve as a new gateway to Redwood national and state parks visited by 1 million people a year. The Yurok will be the first Native people to manage tribal land with the National Park Service under a historic memorandum of understanding signed by the tribe, Redwood national and state parks, and the non-profit Save the Redwoods League.


  • Spotted owl
    2024 C.E. March 28

    Biden administration restores threatened species protections in the U.S. dropped by Trump

    Among the changes, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will reinstate a decades-old regulation that mandates blanket protections for animals and plants newly classified as threatened. That means officials won’t have to craft specific plans to shield each individual species while protections are pending, as has been done recently with North American wolverines in the Rocky Mountains, alligator snapping turtles in the Southeast and spotted owls in California.


  • Facility production thick air pollution
    2024 C.E. March 28

    Slovakia plans to be coal-free by 2024, six years earlier than originally planned

    Slovakia stopped production at its last coal-fired power plant this week. Its electricity will now come almost entirely from nuclear and renewable sources. Slovakia originally slated its coal phaseout for 2030 but has now expedited this to mid-2024, when it will join Belgium, Austria, Sweden and Portugal as Europe's coal-free countries.


  • Person repairing smart phone
    2024 C.E. March 27

    Oregon governor signs nation’s first right-to-repair bill that bans parts pairing

    The law, like those passed in New York, California, and Minnesota, will require many manufacturers to provide the same parts, tools, and documentation to individuals and repair shops that they provide to their own repair teams. But Oregon's bill goes further, preventing companies from implementing schemes that require parts to be verified through encrypted software checks before they will function.


  • Argentinian flag flying near a building
    2024 C.E. March 26

    In first, an Argentine court convicts ex-officers of crimes against trans women during dictatorship

    Judges overseeing a high-profile human rights trial in Argentina have convicted 11 former officials of crimes against humanity, in the South American nation's first case to focus on the former military dictatorship’s overlooked practice of committing sexual violence against transgender women.


  • Zagreb, Croatia
    2024 C.E. March 25

    Croatia approves law to criminalize femicide 

    After Cyprus and Malta, Croatia is the third E.U. member state to recognize the crime of femicide, which is defined as the killing of a woman or girl, in particular by a man and on account of her gender. The legislation will also increase the prison sentence for rape from one to five years to three to eight, and victims will have the option to give testimony via videocall rather than attending in person.


  • Hand holding living cannabis plant
    2024 C.E. March 22

    Germany approves partial legalization of cannabis

    The new law will allow adults to carry up to 25 grams of cannabis for their own consumption and store up to 50 grams at home. Public consumption will be allowed, so long as it is not within sight of children or near sports facilities. It will also be prohibited in pedestrian zones between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. It is slated to come into effect on April 1.


  • Bifacial PV plate
    2024 C.E. March 23

    British scientists develop new bifacial solar technology that generates more power at reduced cost

    Scientists from the University of Surrey in England, working with colleagues at the University of Cambridge, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xidian University, and Zhengzhou University, have developed a flexible perovskite solar panel that use electrodes made of tiny carbon nanotubes. The researchers demonstrated that in addition to producing more energy than traditional solar panels, “the material cost of an all-carbon-electrode-based bifacial PSC is about 70% lower than that of a monofacial device.”


  • Aerial view of oil tanker
    2024 C.E. March 22

    India stops accepting Russian oil delivered by U.S.-sanctioned tankers

    Indian oil refineries have stopped accepting Russian crude oil delivered by tankers operated by Russia’s largest commercial shipping company that has been sanctioned by the U.S., likely as a result of the war on Ukraine. The move deals a significant blow to Russia's economy as India has emerged as a major importer of Russian crude oil over the past two years.


  • U.N. building with national flags in foreground
    2024 C.E. March 21

    U.N. General Assembly adopts landmark resolution on artificial intelligence

    The Assembly called on all Member States and stakeholders “to refrain from or cease the use of artificial intelligence systems that are impossible to operate in compliance with international human rights law or that pose undue risks to the enjoyment of human rights.” The text was “co-sponsored” or backed by more than 120 other Member States. It represents the first time the Assembly has adopted a resolution on regulating the emerging field.


  • Redwoods with sun shining through
    2024 C.E. March 20

    Yurok Tribe becomes the first to manage land with U.S. National Park Service

    California’s Yurok Tribe, which had 90% of its territory taken from it during the gold rush of the mid-1800s, will be getting a slice of its land back to serve as a new gateway to Redwood national and state parks visited by 1 million people a year. The Yurok will be the first Native people to manage tribal land with the National Park Service under a historic memorandum of understanding signed by the tribe, Redwood national and state parks, and the non-profit Save the Redwoods League.



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